One of the main highlights of our wedding was marrying twice on the 21st of November [In Port Shepstone ]and 25th of November [in Cape Town ] due to COVID 19 and certain loved ones could not attend due to underlying conditions so my husband opt for two diverse cultural weddings so everyone could have shared this day with us . The Indian first dance in Cape Town was the highlight of the day and the wedding in Port Shepstone ,the highlight was the Afrikaans Dance moves my husband displayed when he was asked to do so by the MC .The next highlight was seeing my husband stand at the altar ,waiting for me to walk down the aisle with my father , in fact that moment is one of the most strongly remembered of all ,according to my guest at both the weddings we received. To Zaanrich van der Merwe and I Simona van der Merwe his wife we will forever remember our vow exchange ,first to our lord JESUS CHRIST and then to one another .
Yes , we did have two honeymoons one in Port Shepstone at KAPATA BAY HOTEL and our second honeymoon was in ST HELENA BAY HOTEL IN THE WEST COAST . What captured my heart on the honeymoon was the first step of being served by my husband ,the washing of my feet which symbolizes and represents Jesus washing the feet of the disciples in JOHN 13:1-17,as a symbol of love and humility. St Helena Bay, known locally as 'Die Agterbaai', is one of the world's prime fishing centres. Fed by the nutrient-rich Benguela current, the waters teem with marine life, which provides the livelihood for its coastal inhabitants. which was amazing .
THE DURBAN PORT SHEPSTONE WEDDING
The theme of the wedding was rustic look , my hair was rolled up in curls and out to the side and my husbands hair was cut into a two tone wedge .our service provider on making our hairstyles was Roshmika hair and beauty salon all the way from port Shepstone .
I had two venues because we married twice within one week because of COVID 19 and we wanted all our families to spend this auspicious day with us .The first wedding took place on Saturday the 21st of November at 2 o' clock at kapata Bay Hotel [PORT SHEPSTONE ] . We had guest from CAPE TOWN THE GROOMS PARTIES which came down the week of the wedding and booked at Umtentweni ,near Umtentweni Beach along the coastal line . the rest of the brides party traveled back home after the wedding . The second wedding took place on Wednesday the 25th of November at 2 o' clock at St Helena bay Hotel which is located approximately 150 km north of Cape Town .All our guest traveled back to cape town when the wedding was completed .
Six months before the big day cleansing, toning, and moisturizing was done regularly without fail. This kept my skin glowing and youthful. This helped my skin to breathe better. I followed up with toning that helped tighten the pores. Toning also reduces fine lines to some extent. Lastly, moisturizing the face helps lock in the moisture into the pores, keeping my skin soft and supple. Also, I made sure that I applied sunscreen diligently .Exfoliation is one of the best ways of getting skin that is free from dead cells and black heads, so i started that process .I made sure that I exfoliated my skin before using a face wash two or three times a week with my grand mothers home made turmeric Indian exfoliator. I used a mild face wash. For my healthy and shiny looking hair i started getting a hair spa done once a month just like the facials, i started this treatment six months before the wedding. My grand mother messaged olive oil on my body before going to sleep at night. This got rid of the dry skin on my hands and feet. During bathing, she gave me a pumice stone on for my feet. i did frequent manicures and pedicures. Hair Removal was done one month before wedding to Keep my self well groomed. I kept my eyebrows in shape. also my salon who waxed me advised me that Sudden hair removal of any part of the body can give you small cuts or rashes.
The style is a tradition west coast style. Fishing village style.
Suites
firstly i the bride and my bridesmaid took and considered the season i am marrying in . we spoke about the style, material, color, we also thought about the time of year any nuptials that took place when deciding on the dress code for Bridal Party. questions from my brides maids and maid of honor where , Will it be warm or chilly? in our case it was warm as we married in spring going into summer .my maid of honor requested that I ensure that the style of the bridal party dresses i choose complements the season and its trends. With your good taste, from all my bridal party i was bound to find the style that’s just right for my crew and the season. I remember: It’s your BIG DAY! The dresses I decide on for my bridesmaids need to reflect my vision, too, I went with something I LOVE. Then my girls and I considered the venue, their comfort, movement, and temperature of the venue are the key considerations i took when hunting for bridesmaid dresses. Plus, my girls will want to dress the part while looking awesome
then I took my brides maids personality into consideration girls just wanna have Fu-un! It’s always important to factor in your bridesmaid’s personality when coming up with different dress options both the grooms mum and my mum always told me ,that’s where the magic is! i ask my crew for their opinions when choosing styles, too. Being included in the selection process allowed them to rock their own styles and can bring the crew closer together as they discuss various options and style .which created fellowship as my bridal party was diverse in culture .
I allowed dresses show off their uniqueness! I told the girls You don’t have to limit yourself where everyone wear the same color and same style dresses . My girls and I Sometimes think that tradition can seem a little tired. Therefore taking the season , venue , and personality of my crew we decided on the following look .
Pastor married us
Linay
families where involved with the planning.
I wanted to surprise my groom on our wedding day, so I rented our favorite car for transportation to the ceremony! the rest of the guest had private transportation as it was the best due to COVID 19 .
The first wedding was a wedding that my husband and I decided on that menu as we wanted the AFRIKAANERS THE GROOMS party to enjoy the delightful selection at the buffet which allowed them to choose or have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. As warm-hearted as Punjabis are, so is their flavorful food. So get ready to be welcomed with Appetizers and Beverages followed by the main course but in the Punjabi Style , according to our guest from the grooms party they enjoyed Punjabi cuisine for its rich, buttery flavors along with the extensive vegetarian and meat dishes. My second wedding in CAPE TOWN was a tipple Afrikaans menu according to my family ,the brides side they enjoyed the food and could feel the NATURAL blends of the food . BELOW IS THE MENUE OF BOTH WEDDINGS
My Wedding stationery really setted the tone of our event, as well as building heaps of excitement with family members and friends sitting late nights enjoying making different stationery for our big day .Here are the following wedding stationary and the following service providers .Escort cards helped direct guests to their assigned tables. Place cards helped us a lot at the weddings to designate what table a guest will sit at. Table number cards helped my guests at both weddings find their seats and provided some organization due to COVID 19 we kept strict protocol , also we ensured the numbers printed on the cards where big enough for people to see. Menu cards gave my guest at both weddings an overview of what guests will be eating for their meal , for both weddings it was a buffet .
The Cocktail hour was amazing after being pronounced husband and wife, my husband and I walked out the outdoor ceremony area and we was heading off (with photographer i) for pictures together before the partying gets on way . the guests headed towards the reception site for cocktails. During this time the staff served appetizers and drinks, which got the guest mingling and in the mood. my husband and I did our ' grand entrance . our coordinator made sure guests are seated before the emcee alerted the guest for our arrival. our parents and our wedding party where introduced, followed by the announcement of my husband and I walking down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. First Dance with my father ,this moment was very emotional as my dad and i spoke about all my child moment we had and then he gave me over to my husband and we danced
